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Washington – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations
Washington is located in the extreme northwest of America (Alaska notwithstanding). The northern border is shared with Canada and to the east and south are the states of Idaho and Oregon. Washington is regarded as one of the richest, most liberal, and progressive states in the United States. Unemployment is low and life expectancy is high. Major companies, such as Amazon, Microsoft, T-Mobile US, Nintendo US, Boeing, and Starbucks are located in the state. Most businesses and residents are located in Seattle or its suburbs. The rest of the state is relatively sparsely populated with many nature reserves. The diversity in nature is great. Snowy mountain peaks, volcanoes, dense forests, coniferous forests, and flower fields are common in the state. Gambling laws are relatively complicated, however, and players should be aware of the legal situation before getting involved in such activities.
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More information about Washington – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations
Find the best American casino online
If you want to play casino games in Washington, we recommend doing proper research online before heading out. You can legally play at around 35 tribal casinos. Some of them offer state-of-the-art facilities for gambling and entertainment, while others might be relatively basic. Another thing to keep in mind is that the legal gambling age is 18. But beware! Some casinos restrict their gaming floors to guests of the age of 21 and older.
Online gambling is illegal and can be punished with harsh sentences. While it is possible to sign up at foreign-based online casinos, we highly advise against it as the risk is hardly worth it. You can find out more about this topic later on in this guide.
- Be aware of the legal situation before playing online!
- Check the jurisdiction of the online casino
- Does the casino accept players from Washington?
- Do you have access to the accepted payment methods?
- Is the casino properly licensed to ensure fair gaming?
- The minimum age for gambling in nearby Washington is 18
- Some casinos only accept players over the age of 21
In order to find out more about the best international online casinos that accept players from Washington, we recommend that you check out our GoodLuckMate top lists and casino reviews.
Gambling regulation – Washington State Gambling Commission
Washington has several legal options for gambling. However, this is mostly reserved for special tribal areas. At the time of writing, then, you can legally visit one of the 35 Indian casinos owned by some 25 Native American tribes that are located across Washington's 15 counties. These tribal casinos are fully recognized by the U.S. Interior Department. They are regulated by the Washington State Gambling Commission. Outside the tribal areas gambling is mostly illegal, with the exceptions of charitable gambling, horse racing, and the state lottery – the latter includes daily keno, Hit 5, Lotto, Mega Millions, Powerball, and scratch-offs. While horse racing is legal in Washington, greyhound racing is explicitly banned.
The state made headlines in 2006 when they outlawed online poker and online casino games. These kinds of activities are now considered to be a felony and can result in up to 10 years in prison time or up to $20,000 in fines. Most states in the US do not really follow through on this, but Washington does not take this lightly. One individual was even prosecuted over a fantasy NASCAR website, for example, so you gamble in this way entirely at your own risk.
Localized online casinos
Due to the harsh stance on online gambling within Washington, you won’t be able to find any online casinos that are specifically catering to this market. Even fantasy sports (which are perfectly legal in most other states) are considered to be entirely illegal here. There are certain international online casinos that do accept players from Washington but, as the state doesn’t seem to take this matter lightly, it is not advisable to be playing there. These foreign-based sites fully support the English language, which makes them quite accessible, but one should always consider the risk involved.
Gambling with US dollars
Washington has a large number of tribal casinos that are run by around two dozen tribes. If you are planning on visiting one of the tribal areas, you can legally play there for US dollars without any issues. The same is true for all horse racing tracks and the state lottery. Theoretically, it is quite easy to play at international online casinos in your local currencies as well but, as previously stated, this is illegal in the state and could result in a felony charge.
Casinos in Washington
Online casinos that accept players from Washington are commonly regulated and located in Curaçao, Anjouan, St. Kitts, and Costa Rica, for example. Due to the strict legal situation, we recommend avoiding gambling online as there are plenty of safe and legal alternatives available. Tribal casinos can mostly be found in the western part of the state, near Seattle, and in the eastern part of Washington around Spokane. Popular options include the 12 Tribes Resort Casino, the 7 Cedars Casino Hotel, the Angel of the Winds Casino Resort, the Chewelah Casino, the Coulee Dam Casino, the Elwha River Casino, and the brand new Emerald Queen Casino Tacoma. The casinos greatly vary in size and game selection. The bigger venues are hosting hundreds of table games and slot machines while the smaller casinos can be quite limited in their offer.
Updated: 18 March 2021 
